Gillingham defender John Nutter is heading into the final few weeks of the season fighting battles on two fronts.

The left-back is out to help the club achieve promotion back to League 1 and on a personal level he’s hoping to win himself a new deal.

Nutter, 25, is one of a number of players out of contract in the summer and although he’s played in the majority of Gillingham’s games this season, he knows that a new deal is not a certainty.

He said: “I’m not taking anything for granted. I’ve got to earn the right to be here next year because it’s a big club.

“I would love to stay as it’s a fantastic club. I like working with the manager and the players and performances will dictate that.

“You don’t expect to be given anything, you have to go and earn it and hopefully in the next five games and over the course of the season, I will have done enough to help the team be successful and that will benefit me as well.”

Nutter was one of manager Mark Stimson’s first signings at Gillingham and it was a second chance at league football for the defender.

His last taste of the big time was with Saturday’s opponents Wycombe but he was released in 2001 so he is even more determined to take three points this weekend.

“It took me a long time to claw my way back and now I can hopefully put one over them,” he said.